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Ancient Language
The Ancient Language was at one time the language of all beings in Alagaësia, but was later used only by the elves and some humans, as well as the dwarves in the crowning of their king. It was the language of the Grey Folk, but then somehow they managed to tie their language with magic. It was used to command and regulate magic. Each act of magic was linked to a specific word; therefore, the more knowledge one had of the Ancient Language, the more magical ability. It is impossible to lie in the Ancient Language; words spoken in the language were unquestionably true, although it was said that the elves were masters at saying one thing and meaning another (for example, the smith Rhunön said she would never make another sword, but she made one through Eragon). Because of the candid nature of the language, oaths of allegiance and similar compacts were usually conducted in it, ensuring they would not be broken. Names in the Ancient Language were "true names" - the knowledge of one's true name was a source of power and control. On a related note, the real name of the Ancient Language - the knowledge of which would have been a great power in itself due to the language's ability to manipulate - was and still is unknown. History The Ancient Language was first spoken by all beings, the Grey Folk being most proficient. They bound the language to the world to help them control magic and also made it impossible to speak lies in the language, after an accident concerning the language almost destroyed everything in Alagaësia. By the time of the Rider War, it was universally recognized as the elven language. Real-world connections Author Christopher Paolini based the Ancient Language on the languages of the ancient Norse and Celtic peoples. It is not certain which ones he used, however, since his statement on the origin of the name "Galbatorix" says that it is the combination of the Welsh words "galba" - meaning "big" - and "torix" - meaning "king". No such words (or even the letter 'x') exist in the Welsh language. In Paolini's own words: "When I was writing the first draft for Eragon, I needed to invent a word that meant fire; it was supposed to come from an “ancient language” that is almost always used with magic." (Some very skilled masters of magic can use magic without using the language, although risking a stray thought or feeling distorting the results of the spell, which could be deadly.) "Since my parents owned a dictionary of word origins, I pulled it off the shelf and flipped through it. Eventually I found an obscure Old Norse word, brisingr, that meant fire, and I loved it so much, I decided to base the rest of my language on Old Norse. To find more words, I went online and dug up various Old Norse dictionaries, although I have been known to invent a word now and then when the story requires it! As far as the grammar and pronunciation of my “ancient language” go, they bear absolutely no resemblance to Old Norse as I wanted to give it my own twist." http://www.shurtugal.com/?id=trilogy/christopher/qanda Many have criticized the Ancient Language, however, maintaining that it consists mostly of Old Norse words replacing English words in a sentence. The Ancient Language is almost translated to fit the semantic meaning of each English word exactly. The language when used by elves contains a number of suffixes to identify social standing, similar to Japanese honorifics. Christopher Paolini has cited Ursula Le. Guinn's Earthsea books as "inspiration," so he probably got the idea of true names for people and things from there. (The language of Ged - the protagonist in Earthsea - and his race, has this same property like the Ancient Language). Translations The Ancient Language Words The Ancient Language will be first in alphabetical order, then the English word after it. * abr - of * ach - do, does * adurna - water * agaetí - celebration * aí - a * Aiedail - The Morning Star * älfa - elf * älfr - he * älfrinn - she * andlat - death * arget - silver * Argetlam - Silver Hand * äenora - broad * atra - may, let * beorn - bear * bjart - bright * Bjartskular - Brightscales (an honorific for a dragon) * blaka - flap/flapper * blödh - blood * blödhren - blood-oath * böetq - broad * brakka - reduce * breoal - family, house * brisingr - fire * brunhvitr - white-browed * burthr - birth * burthro - born (past tense of birth) * celöbra - honor * celöbreya - honors * Dagshelgr - Hallowed Day * dag - day * datia - mists * dauth - death * dauthleikr - mortal * deloi - earth * delois - a green-leafed plant with purple flowers * deyja - die * domia - dominance * dras - city * draumr - dream * Drottning - Queen, Drottningu - Princess * du - the * dvergar - Dwarves * ebrithil - master * einradhin - v. resolved * Edoc'sil - unconquerable * edur - a tor, prominence * eitha - go, leave * ekar - oaken * eka - I, me * elda - gender-neutral honorific of great praise * eldrvarya - burning * eld hórnya - listeners * eld jeirda - breaker * eld moi - changer * eom - to * ero - was * er - is * esterni - good fortune * ethgri - invoke * evarínya - stars * eyddr - v. empty * eyreya - ears * fairth - picture (more specifically, a picture taken by magical means) * frá - from * fram - forward * fricai - friend plural. fricaya * fells - mountains * fethr - feather * fethrblaka - bird (literally feather-flapper) * finiarel - an honorific phrase for a young man of great promise * freohr - death * fyrn - war * finna -find * gala - chant, sing, scream, yell, etc. * gánga - go * garjzla - light * gata -'' path, passage * ''gath - v. unite * gedwey - shining * geuloth - v. dull * grind - gate * gülia - luck * haldthin - thornapple * haina - harm * heill - heal * helgr - hallowed, sacred * Helgrind - The Gates to Death * hjarta - heart * hlaupa - run * hljödhr - silent * hugin - thought or Knowledge * huildr - hold * hvass - sharp * hvitr - white * iet - my (informal) * ignasia - palm * illian - happiness * ilumëo - truth * istalri - flame * jierda - break, hit * kalfya - calves * knifr - knife * kvetha - greetings * kveykva -lightning * kvaedhi - script * kvistr - branch * kodthr - catch * kόpa - stare * kona - woman * könungr - king * kyn - kind (as in race, mankind, elfkind, etc.) * lam - hand * laufsbläd - leaf * laufsblädar - leaves * lethr - leather * Lethrblaka - a bat, the Ra'zac's mounts (literally leather-flapper) * letta - stop (imperative) * Letta du Bullts! - Stop the bullets! * liduen - poetic * Liduen-Kvaedhi - Poetic Script used by elves to write the Ancient Language. * líf - life * lífa - live * losna - release, loosen * ma'mor - unlock * maela - quiet * malthinae - to bind or hold in place; confine * manin - memory * moi - change * mor'amr - open * mor'ranr - peace * nagz - blanket * nalgask - a mixture of beeswax and hazelnut oil used to moisten the skin * Nángoröth - Blasted * neo - not * nosu - us * nuanen - beautiful * ono - you * orono - or * onr - your * oro - arrow, plural. orya * orúm - serpent * pömnuria - my (formal) * rakr - mist * ramr - strong * raudhr - red * rauthr - misfortune * reisa - raise/lift * ren - oath * reona - reaper * rïsa - rise (imperative) * seithr - witch * se - may * sem - that * Shur'tugal - Dragon Rider * Shur'tugalar - Dragon Riders * Silbena - Sighing * sitja - sit * sja - look, looking * skölir - shield * sköliro - shielded * skul - scale * skulblaka - dragon,scale flapper (literally) * solus - sun * sundablaka - The Beast,shadow flapper * slytha - sleep * stenr - stone * stydja - rest, stay, remain * sundavar - shadows * sverd - sword plural. sverdar * svit-kona - a formal honorific phrase for an elf woman of great wisdom * taka - give * tauthr - follow * taune - take * thelduin - v. rule over, v.reign * thorna - those * thornessa - this * thringa - rain * thrysta - thrust, compress * togira - cripple * treavam - tree * un - and * unin - in * undir - under * vandr-fodhr - ill-marked * vanta - lack, need * vanyali - magic (the dwarves took this word and used it to mean "elf".) * varda - watch over, guard * Varden - Warders * vardo - warded * vel - easily * ven - ''sight * ''vindr - air, wind, twist, compress * vinr - friend * Vinr-Alfakyn - Elf-Friend * vodhr - a male honorific of middling praise * vöndr - a thick, straight stick * vollar - plains, fields, ground * vor - a male honorific for a close friend * vrangr - wandering * welden - forest * wilae - will * wiol - for * waíse - be * weohnata - will * wyrda - fate * Wyrdfell - elven name for the Forsworn * yawë - a bond of trust * Zar'roc -misery * Zar'rac - pain Phrases * Agaetí Blödhren - Blood-oath Celebration * Ach neo eitha orono ie wilae yauna onr lifa - Do not go or I will take your life. * Aí varden abr du Shur'tugalar gata vanta. - A warden of the Riders lacks passage. * älfr ach thornessa - He does this * älfrinn ero aí koma ramrsja - She was a strong-looking woman. * Atra du evarínya ono varda, Däthedr-vodhr. - May the stars watch over you, honored Däthedr. * Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eragon Shur'tugal. - May good fortune rule over you, Eragon Dragon Rider. * Atra esterní ono thelduin/Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr/Un du evarínya ono varda. - May good fortune rule over you/Peace live in your heart/And the stars watch over you. (an Elven greeting) * Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse skölir frá rauthr. - May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune. * Atra gülai un ilian tauthr ono un atra ono waíse sköliro frá rauthr. - May luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune. * Atra nosu waíse vardo fra eld hórnya. - May we be warded from listeners. * boetq istrali! - Broad fire! * Brakka du vanyalí sem huildar Saphira un eka! - Reduce the magic that holds Saphira and me! * Brisingr, iet tauthr. - Fire, follow me. * Brisingr raudhr! - Red fire! * Deloi moi! - Earth, change! * Domia abr Wydra - Dominance of Fate (book) * Draumr kópa - dream stare (scrying) * Du deloi lunaea. - Smooth the earth/dirt. * Du Fells Nángoröth - The Blasted Mountains * Du Fyrn Skulblaka - The Dragon War (Dragons vs. Elves) * Du grind huildr! - Hold the gate! * Du Namar Auroboda. - The Banishing of the Names. * "Du Silbena Datia" - "The Sighing Mists" (a poem song) * Du Súndavar Freohr - Death of the Shadows * Du Völlar Eldrvarya - The Burning Plains * Du Vrangr Gata - The Wandering Path (literally, The Path Wandering) * Du Weldenvarden - The Guarding Forest * Eka eddyr aí Shur'tugal... Shur'tugal... Argetlam. - I am a Dragon Rider... Dragon Rider... Silver Hand. * Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal! - I am a Rider and a friend! * Eldhrimmer O Loivissa nuanen, dautr abr deloi/Eldhrimmer nen ono weohnataí medh solus un thringa/Eldhrimmer un fortha onr fëon var/Wiol allr sjon. - Grow O beautiful Loivissa, daughter of the earth/Grow as you would with the sun and rain/Grow and put forth your flower of the spring/For all to see. * Eyddr eyreya onr! -Empty your ears! * Fethrblaka, eka weohnata néiat haina ono. Blaka eom let lam. - Bird, I will not harm you. Flap to my hand. * Fricai Anglát - death friend (a poisonous mushroom) * Fricai onr eka eddyr. - I am your friend. * Gala O Wyrda brunhvitr/Abr Berundal vandr-fodhr/Burthro lausblädar eja undir/Eom kona dauthleikr... - Sing O white-browed Fate/Of ill-marked Berundal/Born under oaken leaves/To mortal woman... * Ganga aptr - Go backward. * Ganga fram - Go forward. * Garjzla, letta! - Light, stop! * Gath sem oro un lam iet - Unite that arrow with my hand. * Gath un reisa du rakr! - Unite and raise the mist! * Gedwëy ignasia - shining palm * Gëuloth du knífr! - Dull the Knife! * Jierda theirra kalfis! - Break their calves! * Kuldr, rïsa lam iet un malthinae unin böllr. - Gold, rise to my hand and bind into an orb. * Kvetha Fricai - Greetings, friend. * Letta orya thorna! - Stop those arrows! * Liduen Kvaedhí - Poetic Script * Losna kalfya iet - Release my calves. * Manin! Wyrda! Hugin! - Memory! Fate! Thought! * Moi stenr! - Stone, change! * Nagz reisa! - Blanket, rise! * Nen ono weohnata, Arya Dröttningu. - As you will, Princess Arya. * Osthato Chetowä - the Mourning Sage * Reisa du adurna. - Raise/Lift the water. * Ristvak'baen - Place of Sorrow (baen--used here in Urû'baen, the capital of the Empire--is always pronounced bane and is an expression of great sadness/grief) * Sé mor'ranr ono finna - May you find peace. * Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass! - May your swords stay sharp! Sverð, in Icelandic, also means sword, sitja means to sit, and hvass means sharp. * Sé orúm thornessa hávr sharjalví lífs. - May this serpent have life's movement. * Skölir nosu fra brisingr! - Shield us from fire! * Skulblaka, eka celöbra ono un malabra ono un onr Shur'tugal né haina. Atra nosu waíse fricai. - Dragon, I honor you and mean you and your Rider no harm. Let us be friends. * Stenr reisa! - Raise stone! * Stenr, rïsa! - Stone, rise! * Stydja unin mor'ranr, Hrothgar Könungr. - Rest in peace, King Hrothgar. * Thorta du ilumëo! - Speak the truth! * Thrysta adurna - Compress the water. * Thrysta deloi - Compress the earth. * Thrysta vindr - Compress the air. * Thverr stenr un atra eka hórna! - Traverse stone and let me hear! * Togira Ikonoka - The Cripple Who Is Whole * Tuatha du orothrim - Tempering the fool's wisdom (level in the Riders' training) * Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal. - Upon my word as a rider. * Vinr Älfakyn - Elf Friend * Waíse heill! - Be healed! * Wiol ono. - For you. * Wiol pömnuria ilian. - For my happiness All adjectives are used after nouns (ex. 'the strong woman' would literally translate as 'the woman strong'). Connections By using simple knowledge it is also possible to find out other words in the Ancient Language. Such as: :Fethrblaka = bird/Feather-flapper :Lethrblaka = Ra'zac's mounts/Leather-Flapper :Skulblaka = Dragon/Scale-Flapper So, Fethr means Feather, Lethr means Leather, Skul means Scale, and ''-blaka'' means flap. Also, the word sundablaka--shadowflapper--appears in the Eragon movie. 'Sentence Construction' Descriptions are placed after the object they describe. The most common mistake made by people trying to speak the Ancient Language is to place adjectives before nouns. Example: "Aí skulblaka ramr" means "a strong dragon", but literally translates as "a dragon strong". Unlike in English, descriptions can be placed in any order following the object. Example: "Aí oro ramr hvitr" (a strong, white arrow) can also be rendered as "aí oro hvitr ramr" (a white, strong arrow). Aside from descriptions, the structure of a sentence in the Ancient Language is usually the same as it would be in English. Example: "Gath un reisa du rakr" would literally translate as "unite and raise the mist". No restructuring of the sentence was required. There are no participles (e.g. walking, swimming) in the Ancient Language. Verbs are either past simple (e.g. walked, swam), present simple (e.g. walk, swim) or future simple (e.g. will walk, will swim). Example: "I am following" would have to be rendered as "I follow" (Eka tauthr) in the Ancient Language; "I was following" as "I followed" (Eka tauthro) and "I will be following" as "I will follow" (Eka weohnata tauthr). When two nouns are joined together to form a single noun, the descriptive noun comes first, as it does in English. Example: "Fethrblaka" (bird) is a combination of the nouns "fethr" (feather) and "blaka" (flapper). 'Prefixes' äf-: gives words a malignant connotation. For example, "taka" (give) becomes "äftaka" (steal). eld-: changes verbs into nouns of action. For example, "jierda" (break) becomes "eld jierda" (breaker). 'Suffixes' -ar: pluralises nouns ending on consonants. If the noun already ends with "r", place an "a" before it. For example, "draumr" (dream) becomes "draumar" (dreams). However, if the noun already has a vowel before the "r", the suffix "-ya" is used. For example, "edur" (tor) becomes "edya" (tors). -í: changes verbs ending with any letter (except for "i" and "r") to past tense. For example, "haina" (harm) becomes "hainaí" (harmed). -o: forms the past tense of verbs ending with "i" and "r". For example, "skölir" (shield) becomes "sköliro" (shielded). -r: gives nouns a masculine connotation. For example, "älf" (elf) becomes "älfr" (male elf), which is also he in the Ancient Language. -s: makes nouns possessive. For example, "könungr" (king) becomes "könungrs" (king's). -sja: adds "-looking" to the end of adjectives. For example, "ramr" (strong) becomes "ramrsja" (strong-looking). -ya: pluralises nouns ending on vowels. It also replaces the last vowel. For example, "agaetí" (celebration) becomes "agaetya" (celebrations). If the "-ya" interferes with the word's pronunciation, the vowel it would normally replace isn't removed. The vowels "a" and "i" are usually changed to "e". For example, "celöbra" (honour) becomes "celöbreya" (honours). English To Ancient Language Articles, Conjunctions, Auxiliary Verbs, Prepositions a: aí am: eddyr and: un are: eru backward: aptr be: waíse did: achí do: ach does: ach (the same as "do", see above) for: wiol forward: fram from: fra have: hávr in: unin is: er let: atra may: sé not: néiat of: abr that: sem the: du this: thornessa those: orya to: eom under: undir up: audr upon: vel was: ero were: erní will: weohnata with: medh Pronouns All: allr I: eka he: älfr me: eka my (formal): pömnuria my (informal): iet she: älfrinn their: theirra they: therr those: thorna us: nosu you: ono your: onr Nouns Aiedail: the morning star air: vindr arrow: oro banishing: aurboda bat: lethrblaka bird: fethrblaka blanket: nagz blood: blödh blue, deep-throated lily that grows in the Empire: loivissa bond of trust: yawë Brightscales: Bjatrskular (honorific title for dragons) brow: brun cactus found near Helgrind: talos calves (as in cow) : kalfya calves (as in leg) : kalvis celebration: agaetí city: dras cripple: togira daughter: dautr day: dag death: anglát, freohr dominance: domia Dominance of Fate (book): Domia abr Wyrda dragon: skulblaka Dragon Rider: Shur'tugal dream: draumr dwarves: dvergar ears: eyreya earth: deloi elf: älfa elf-kind: älfakyn elf-woman: älfa-kona fabric made by cross-weaving wool and nettle threads: lámarae family: breoal fate: wyrda feather: fethr flame: istalrí flower: fëon fire: brisingr fool's wisdom: orothrim forest: welden Forsworn: Wyrdfell friend: fricai, vinr gate: grind gold: kuldr good fortune: esterní greetings: kvertha Hallowed Day: dagshelgr hand: lam harm: haina happiness: ilian heart: hjarta heart of hearts: Eldunarí hell: hel ill: vandr king: könungr knife: knífr leaf: laufsbläd leather: lethr life: líf life’s (as a genetive noun): lifs light: garjzla lightning: kyeykva elven liqueur: faelnirv luck: guliä magic: vanyalí master: ebrithil memory: manin misery: zar'roc misfortune: rauthr mist: rakr, datia mixture of beeswax and hazelnut used to moisten the skin: nalgask morning: Chetowä Morning Star: Aiedail mortal: dauthleikr mountain: fell movement: sharjalví name: nama oath: ren orb: böllr palm: gedwëy path: gata peace: mor'ranr picture created through magic: fairth Place of Sorrow: Ristvak’baen plains: völlar princess: dröttingu purple-flowered plant: delois rain: thringa sage: osthato scale: skul script: kvaedhi serpent: orúm shadows: súndavar shield: skölir silver: arget Silver hand: Argetlam sorrow: baen Spine: Carthungavë Spring: vara stars: evarínya stick: vöndr stone: stenr sun: solus sword: sverd The Burning Plains: Du Völlar Eldvarya The Dragon War: Du Fyrn Skulblaka The Guarding Forest: Du Weldenvarden The Sighing Mists (a poem song): Du Silbena Datia The Wandering Path: Du Vrangr Gata The Warders: Varden (probably should have “Du” infront but it is not commonly known that way) thornapple: haldthin thought: hugin tree: traevam truth: thorta type of bonding between a dragon and Rider: indlvarn prominence: edur war: fyrn warden: varden water: adurna witch: seithr wolf: garm word: eïnradhin woman: kona Verbs and Adjectives awaken: vakna beautiful: naunen bind: malthinae blasted (as in cursed): nángoröth baby: burthr born: burthro break; hit: jierda bright: bjart brighten: naina broad: böetq burn: eldrvarya catch: kodthr change: moi die: deyja dull: gëuloth empty: eyddr find: finna flap: blaka fly: flauga follow: tauthr go: gánga hallowed: shelgr halt: blöthr harm: haina healed: heill hear: hóna hold: huildr honour: celöbra ill: vandr invoke: ethgrí lack: vanta leave: eitha live: lífa marked: fodhr mean: malabra mourning: chetowä need: vanta oaken: ekar poetic: liduen quiet: maela raise: reisa red: raudhr reduce: brakka release: losna rest: stydja rise: rïsa rule: thelduin run: hlaupa scale: skul see: sjon sharp: hvass shining: ignasia sighing: silbena silent: hljödhr sing: gala sleep: slytha smooth: lunaea speak: ilerneo stare: kópa stay: sitja steal: äftaka stop: letta strong: ramr take: taka temper: tuatha thank: elrun thicken: thaefathan thrust: thrysta traverse: thverr unconquerable: edoc'sil under: undir unite: gath unlock: ma'mor wandering: vrangr ward: vard warded: vardo warders: varden watch: varda white: hvitr whole: ikonoka Prefixes and Suffixes Alfa-kona: elf woman (may be used as a suffix) Elda: a gender-neutral honorific suffix of grear praise, attached with a hyphon. Finiarel: an honorific suffix for a young man of great promise, attached with a hyphon. Svit-kona: a formal honorific for an “alfa-kona” of great wisdom. Vodhr: a male honorific suffix os middling praise, attached with a hyphen. Vor: a male honorific for a close friend Other put forth: fortha External links *The Ancient Language Compendium, a complete and accurate guide to the Ancient Language. References es:Idioma Antiguo Category:Grammar Category:Magic Category:Languages